• Oregon’s constitutional ban on same-
sex marriage passed in 2004 and since
then we’ve seen a steady shift in public
attitudes on gay rights. On April 23, a
federal judge will hear oral arguments in a
lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Oregon and
Basic Rights Oregon. If the plaintiffs prevail,
Oregon’s obsolete ban will be struck down. The legal arguments for upholding the ban have
withered under scrutiny in other states and we hope the Oregon court will agree. If not, Oregon
United for Marriage and other equal rights groups will pursue a ballot initiative in November.
Conservatives, of course, are fighting back and have launched an Arizona-style initiative that
will allow anti-gay marriage discrimination by businesses under the cloak of religious freedom.
A “Vigils for Marriage” gathering is being planned statewide next week and the Eugene event
will be at 5:30 pm Tuesday, April 22, in front of the U.S. Courthouse on 8th Avenue.
SLANT
• This town saw some world-class ballet over the weekend: the Eugene Ballet Company’s
double bill of Silk & Steel and Zoot Suit Riot at the Hult. The talented dancers, the modern
choreography of Toni Pimble and Sarah Ebert, the production quality, the invigorating music
and the overall freshness of the programming blew us away. Silk & Steel could have been stale
employing music from the Middle Ages; however, it left many in the audience squealing with
glee. The ballet looked like a watercolor painting in motion, with the dancers’ colorful silk
banners trailing behind them like brushstrokes. After intermission, an entirely different “swing”
ballet began with the ever-fantastic Cherry Poppin’ Daddies boldly displayed on a two-tiered
stage. Lead singer Steve Perry still has that winking, star-quality charisma and the singing
chops to solicit hoots from the crowd, and the costuming of both the band and the dancers was
spot on, retro but with a modern edge. Zoot Suit Riot was both sexy and funny — no easy feat
for a ballet. But the real genius in this entire production was putting these two very different
ballets on the same bill, bringing in people from dissimilar backgrounds and exposing them to
art forms they may not seek out on their own. Bravo and encore!
WTF?
What the duck? A pair of mallards have
been waddling around a parking lot near
Eugene Weekly, dodging cars. Last week a
nest with eight large duck eggs appeared
under some steps next to one of the
buildings. A very calm mallard hen is
keeping the eggs warm and cozy, but this
parking lot is a long way to the Willamette
or Amazon Creek or even a puddle. How
will this mom and her fuzzy ducklings get
to safety? Does LTD do a duck shuttle?
VISUAL JUSTICE: DEMOCRATIZED VIDEO AS EVIDENCE
FEATURING KELLY MATHESON, ATTORNEY, FILMMAKER, AND HUMAN-RIGHTS ACTIVIST
5:00 P.M., THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2014
110 KNIGHT LAW CENTER
1515 AGATE STREET, EUGENE, OREGON
Learn from examples in Syria and locations across the globe
where cell-phone and other video have been used to secure
prosecutions of the guilty or exonerations of the innocent.
Free and open to the public
SPONSORED BY THE WAYNE MORSE CENTER FOR LAW AND POLITICS, CINEMA
PACIFIC, AND THE GOOD WORKS FILM FESTIVAL
EO/AA/ADA institution committed to cultural diversity.
• The Shy Person’s Talent Show at Sam Bond’s Garage was revived last Saturday and drew
a flock of Oregon Country Fair folks, among many others, and most were not so shy about
taking the stage with music, poetry and skits. Among the amateur performers were a few local
music celebrities, such as Peter Wilde and David Rogers. This show and fundraiser has been
going on and off for 25 years and it’s one of those quirky Eugene traditions that help define us.
This year donations at the door went to support mental health and environmental activist
David Oaks, who has been in a wheelchair since his accident 16 months ago. “There’s been
such incredible help,” Oaks wrote in a letter that was handed out at the event. “One of the most
subversive replies to disaster is to find the joy and love!”
• You have to look in the very fine print, but there in the Pulitzers is The Stranger, Seattle’s
scrappy alternative newsweekly. Jen Graves, The Stranger’s arts writer, was a finalist in the
criticism category. Inga Saffron of The Philadelphia Inquirer was the winner and it’s worth
checking her columns to see her impact on her city. Best of all, journalism’s highest prize, the
Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, went to The Guardian U.S. and The Washington Post for telling
Edward Snowden’s story.
• The U.N. Human Rights Committee condemned the U.S. for criminalizing homelessness
on March 31, but the news hardly made a blip in mainstream media. The committee labeled
American attitudes and actions “cruel, inhumane and degrading” and called on the U.S.
government to take action nationwide. What about Eugene? Do we criminalize homelessness
with our ordinances and prosecutions for trespassing and loitering? Ask any homeless person
on the street who has been harassed, fined, forced to move in the middle of the night or even
beaten, pepper sprayed and jailed. Their offenses are not technically called “being homeless,”
but they might as well be. The Western Regional Advocacy Project (wraphome.org) is seeking
a bill of rights for homeless people but it’s hard to imagine Congress or the Oregon Legislature
passing such protections. It’s up to cities and counties to take the lead.
SLANT INCLUDES SHORT OPINION PIECES, OBSERVATIONS AND RUMOR-CHASING NOTES COMPILED BY THE EW STAFF.
HEARD ANY GOOD RUMORS LATELY? CONTACT TED TAYLOR AT 484-0519, EDITOR@EUGENEWEEKLY.COM
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eugeneweekly.com • A pril 17, 2014
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